Rob Sanders to Appear in Boone County Court Thursday

COLUMBIA - Associate Circuit Judge for Boone and Callaway Counties Carol England, will hold a hearing Thursday for former Columbia police officer Rob Sanders. England set the hearing for Thursday at 1:30 p.m at the Boone County Courthouse. Sanders faces third degree assault charges for an incident that occurred in a holding cell and was caught on tape in August 2011.

The controversial surveillance video released allegedly shows Sanders shoving inmate Kenneth Baker in the cell. Baker suffered a fractured vertebra during the incident. After an extensive internal investigation exonerated Sanders of all allegations, Police Chief Ken Burton fired Sanders in September 2011 for excessive force and violating police policy.

Nearly a year after the original incident, special prosecutor Michael Fusselman from Randolph County charged Sanders with third degree assault. It's that charge Sanders will face before the judge Thursday.

KOMU 8 spoke with Sanders' wife Amy Thursday morning and she said she did not wish to comment on the case. She said she will be at the courthouse for the hearing.